suspension mods FJ40 (1 Viewer)

[XJOSHX]

OK, I have been reading this board for about 3 days now, and I am still kind of lost. I am trying to find websites that have good offroad performance parts. I want to find sites with big lifts and lots of flex. Maybe some different suspension set ups?
I am not new to offroad, just new to FJ40's. I am not much of a jeep fan.....well I am but i like to be a little different. Because of this i have built two suzuki samurais. I am reaching the limits of the samurai as far as tire size and I really need more room to grow. My last samurai had 33" supper swampers and coil overs. I kind of want to stay away from coil overs now....due to cost only that is!!!
Since I want something bigger I guess I might as well go really big. I was thinking 38" boggers, dana 60 front, GM 14bolt FF rear, SM465, NP205, and a tpi v8.
What kind of suspension would I need to clear the above? I know I am going to have to do some fender and quarter trimming and take a lot of time to make some plans. Right now I am still wheeling the samurai and have not even baught a FJ yet but the way it looks, it is going to happen.
I want about the performance level you see of a well sprung over big tire jeep. Do any of you have any links as to where I can look for parts? Is it going to come down to me fabbing my own custom suspension?? I sure hope not. I hope you guys can help me.


and yes it will be street driven. I don't care if it is a nightmare to drive, as long as it IS driveable. Please help me guys

 

[HI^C]

try the tech pages here

if your not fabbin, possibly a cruiser shop for a SOA?

sam one here is d60 front and rear and on 38" i believe.

What parts are you lookin for?

if all your doing is a SOA dont need much.

SEARCH will work good also.

 

[XJOSHX]

Do you have a link for the Cruiser shop? I am looking for parts to do with suspension and steering. OTT and hydraulic assist all the way to springs and everything between. I want to go with the 14 bolt rear due to strength and cost. Front axle is still up in the air but dana 60 keeps comming to mind. Will just s pring over get me sitting on 38's? Whats the best way to get major flex from these trucks?

 

[dylan]

unless you have a cruiser allready, you might as well just buy a chevy truck, instead of cutting up a pefectly good landcruiser

 

[XJOSHX]

Full size trucks are just too big. Not to mention lack the charictor that the cruiser has and the truck doesn't. I found a cruiser aroun here for 900 bucks in rough shape. Sounds good to me for what I want to do. If I get that I will be saving it more than chopping it. To most people that thing is ready for the boneyard. I am not gonna go out and get a nice stock perfect fj and tear it apart. I am also against that.

 

[skiakhokie]

I've been researching SOA's for awhile and I haven't seen anyone on 38's with stock srings and SOA. A shop down the street from me is working on one, it sits on 4" rear springs SOA, and SUA 4" springs with man-a-fre shackle reversal up front. I'm pretty sure he could clear 38's. It's up there. I've seen one cruiser lifted more that SOA. Sitting in the front seat you could see down into the gutters on the top of his garage. I don't think I'd like to be in that going more than 30. IMOP I wouldn't go more than a fresh set of HD springs from SOR and soa.

 

[Toyoland66]

Use FJ55 Springs for the rear, theyre longer, flex better, and move your rear axle back about 3", Trimming and SOA will clear 38's (The question is how much trimming)

When I eventually spring my 40 over, Im gonna put it on stock height springs, you can always go up from there.

 

[XJOSHX]

So how much would I be able to flex with the fj55 springs and them hyperchackles they sell. Are them thigns crap for hardcore wheeling or are they the real deal? Will anything break if the truck gets airborne? about how much trimming do you think I will need to do for 38's? Perhaps with a 1" body lift if I absolutely have to. I would rather trim than have a nice ugly body lift.



EDIT: and how are shackle reversals?

 

[Poser]

[quote author=XJOSHX link=board=1;threadid=11549;start=msg105333#msg105333 date=1076890546]
Will anything break if the truck gets airborne?


[/quote]

HA HA HA HA HA

 

[XJOSHX]

[quote author=Poser link=board=1;threadid=11549;start=msg105387#msg105387 date=1076895607]
HA HA HA HA HA
[/quote]


Well of course things break, I was leaning more towards 2 peice shackles hyperextending. A buddy of mine had a set of hinge shackles and that happend to him. I am not to sure of the make of them but they were on the rear of his jeep. It tore his whole custom spring pack apart.

 

[CruisinGA]

hypershackles in general are not a good idea.

To answer your question, no one makes a bolt on lift for FJ's over 4 inches. (enough room for 35's w/o cutting) (Custom spring packs are a possibilty-after a point your ride will suffer badly)

You, or someone is going to have to do some fab work to run 38's. There are people out there selling cut and turn'ed axle housings (generally the hardest part of a SO).

You may be suprised when you get an FJ, it is a much different SWB vehicle than a jeep or sammy. Its not necessary to swap everything in the truck out to run tires over 35".
Maybe you should find a decent later model truck (74-78) and drive it before you take the knife to it.

 

[XJOSHX]

I jsut like a truck I know is bullet proof. I want to be able to be harsh on the pedal with the power of a v8 and run massive tires and not have to worry about breaking every other trip. I jsut want something indestructable.....or the closest I can get to indestructable.

 

[XJOSHX]

so what would you guys do to a landcruiser to run massive meats?

 

[CruisinGA]

Not run a v8 and not mash on the pedal....
Nothing is indestructable....
Aren't there other things to consider instead of tire size?

 

[dylan]

i guy in town runs a 454, th400, stock 3 speed tcase, stock axles, spring over with 2.5" springs and 39.5 swampers. although he dosen't beat on it, he does wheel it moderately (snow runs, slick trails)with out a problem.

 

[XJOSHX]

Well Looking in the tech articles and have some interesting conversations with one of the people on the boards (woody) I think I have found a path for what I want. I am pretty much going to go with a set up like his as far as suspension and engine. tranny and transfer case is still up in the air. As of now I really am concernd about tire size. With my samurai and it's short wheel base of 79" going bigger than 33's is a pain. I am tired of looking at some trails and saying "Gee, I sure wish I had the axle clearance to get through there". Having a 1.6 with 85 or so horse you really really want a v8 My buddy in his jeep practically idles over stuff I have to peg the gas on. I am also tired of that. I want brute low end torque so I can relax. Nothing worse than having to scream up a hill at 4500 rpms because you are under powerd. As far as being indestructable, I know nothing is and thats common sense. I just want something I am not going to have to worry about with every little thing I do.

 

[woody]

woody's an assclown, don't listen to him.

BTW: my rig runs stock FJ55 front and rear packs with 38.5 tires....YES, it does rub, but it also fits in a 7' garage door...stock rear axle with welded diff, front is a 77 housing with minitruck knuckles, aisins, longfields, and currently stock inners and a lockrite (PIG chromos en-route somewheres.) ~4000# trail ready.

 

[Medusa]

Yeah....what Woody said! Here is another option for a relatively strong Cruiser http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jrice/cruiser/FJ45.html

 

[72cruiser]

btw, i think you can get liftsprings of over 4 inches from alcan, it'll just cost you.